Three people reportedly lost their lives on Wednesday, after a fuel tanker exploded close to Eburutu Barracks axis of the Murtala Muhammed Highway in Calabar, the capital of Cross Rivers State.

It was reported that the tragedy which occurred at about 1.00p.m resulted to a heavy traffic, keeping commuters, pedestrians and motorists for several hours.

It was reported that the raging fire also razed some residential buildings, parked vehicles and other properties estimated at millions of Naira.

Eyewitnesses said the deceased comprising the driver, his conductor and a young boy who was said to be excavating sand by the road side, were burnt beyond recognition. The inferno which reportedly lasted for over three hours was eventually put out by the combined effort of the state’s firefighters and officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority.

A witness, who gave her name as Ima Tessy, blamed the accident on wrong overtaking. She said the two trucks, laden with petrol where struggling to overtake each other on the same lane, not noticing the empty tanker that was packed along the road. She said one of the driver lost control while trying to give way to the one coming from behind.

Effiong Akpan, another witness said the crash happened when the truck driver was trying to avoid parked trucks owned by a transport company.

Edem Edet, a fire fighter from the State fire service, who confirmed the incident, said they got to the scene few minutes after they received the signal.

Meanwhile, accidents involving petrol tankers are not rare in the country, especially in the busy areas of the country. Some months ago a loaded tanker collided with a VWGolf car at the Nyanya end causing a long-time gridlock along the Keffi-Abuja Road, FCT Abuja.